Category: Social justice

RU Students: Vote on the SGA Mental Health Referendum Today!

Today is the LAST DAY for RU students to vote on the Mental Health Referendum (ending at midnight) and the SGA needs 400 or so votes (yes or no, just total votes cast) for the referendum tally to count. 200 more votes are needed by the end of today 4/19!

Message from Roosevelt’s Student Government Association:

Dear RU students — The Student Government Association (SGA) would like to inform you about an important re-vote of the upcoming Mental Health Referendum and Student Government Executive Board election for fall 2024!

SGA is proposing a referendum to introduce a $150 per semester fee aimed at expanding face-to-face mental health and physical support services on campus. This fee will be used exclusively to bolster existing mental healthresources and create a more comprehensive and accessible support system for all students.

To vote please see Laker Connect — this link takes you to a page where this is a link for voting on this referendum.

  • Voting Yes for this referendum will create a new in-person counseling center at Roosevelt University for the Fall 2024 semester. This includes up to 12 counseling sessions (in-person or virtual) with the same mental healthprovider and expanding services (in the future) to include physical healthservices on campus. This will include increasing counseling fees from $27 a semester to $150 for full in-person counseling services per semester.
  • Voting No on this referendum will mean no new counseling services, and the current mental health resources will remain the same including TimelyCare. This means that your counseling fees will remain at $27 with only digital resources.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the SGA leadership:
Olivia Van De Ven (ovandeven@mail.roosevelt.edu)
Madeline LaFrombois (mlafrombois@mail.roosevelt.edu)

Vote and make your voice heard!

RU’s Environmental Sustainability Committee Meets on 2/21; All Are Welcome!

RU’s Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) will meet via Zoom on Wed 2/21/24 from 9-10am CST to review the strategic planning process to date and prioritize the summary initiatives recommended by the RU community in 2023. This open committee est. in 2010 meets ~4x per year to discuss environmental sustainability initiatives, share information, and make policy recommendations.

All interested RU students, faculty, staff, admin, and alumni are welcome and encouraged to attend! RSVP to mbryson@roosevelt.edu.

Zoom link for meeting: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/93318500123

Our main task will be to share feedback on and discuss this Worksheet for Prioritizing Sustainability Initiatives (Word and pdf), which summarizes recommendations made through several surveys and workshops in 2022-23. Please take a few minutes to review and fill out the worksheet prior to meeting, if possible. Regardless of whether or not you can attend on 2/21, written feedback can be emailed to the ESC chair, Prof. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu).

Additional Resources for the 2/21/24 ESC meeting:

American Dream Reconsidered Conference @RU (Oct 16-19)

Theme: Mind, Body and the American Dream

Mind and body are such fundamental concepts that we often take them for granted, but recent events have served as a reminder of how central they are to the American Dream. For example, the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade served as a stark example about the body itself as a site of political contestation. Roosevelt University is uniquely suited to explore this theme. As an educational institution, one of the University’s central missions is promoting and celebrating the life of the mind.
The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt is centrally focused on education that brings together mind and body in music, theater, and dance. In addition, as a participant in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and potentially Division II of the National Association of Collegiate Athletics (NCAA), the University is home to more than two dozen sports teams that encourage students to hone their physical development.
Visit the 2023 Conference website for the schedule and info on speakers!

Wanna Learn More ’bout Sustainability? Here’s 10 Ways You Can this Fall @RooseveltU

Let’s be real, shall we? A world rocked by climate change, toxic pollution, devastated biodiversity, and persistent environmental injustice demands change. The folks in charge? While some have their hearts in the right place, and others even know full well there’s a crisis ongoing around us that demands immediate action, the fact is they’re not getting it done.

So who is going to do it? Who’s going to actually get off their duffs, get us out of collective fossil-fuel guzzling garbage-spewing junk-food-eating rut, and create healthy sustainable future for people and the planet? Everyone has a stake in this, of course, particularly the current generation of college students (of all ages). Here @RooseveltU, creating a sustainable future isn’t just a cool and fun thing to do with like-minded folks (though it certainly is); it’s an obligation mandated by our social justice mission.

Education, experiential learning, and activism are key parts of the struggle to create a truly sustainable planet (not to mention college campus), and that’s where SUST courses come in. RU students should look over the Fall 2023 schedule using this Coursefinder, (2) check the remaining course requirements in Degree Works, and (3) email or call your assigned academic advisor with your planned schedule and any questions you have about your upcoming classes. Your advisor will provide you with an RU Access registration code so you can register. Click on selected titles below for detailed course previews!

Sustainability Studies courses still open for enrollment this Fall 2023:

  • SUST 101 Humans & Nature (TTh 11am-12:15pm, Ideas, Prof. Bryson)
  • SUST 210 Sustainable Future (M 9:30-12pm, EXL, Staff)
  • SUST 220 Water (Th 2-4:30pm, EXL, Prof. Bryson)
  • SUST 230 Food (W 2-4:30pm, Staff)
  • SUST 240 Waste (online, 8/28-10/21, Prof. Jones)
  • SUST 261 Writing for Non-Profits (TTh 2-3:15pm, EXL, Prof. Blancato)
  • SUST 320 Sprawl, Transportation & Planning (online, Prof. Gerberich)
  • SUST 330 Biodiversity (Field Museum, Th 9am-1pm, EXL, Prof. Kerbis; see course preview)
  • SUST 362 Climate, Cities & Justice (W 2-4:30pm, Prof. Farmer)
  • SUST 390 Environmental Crime (MW 12:30-1:45pm, Prof. Green)

Ideas = Ideas of Social Justice course (CORE gen ed credit)
EXL = Experiential Learning course (ditto)

For additional useful info, see this Advising Resources page on Prof. Mike Bryson’s faculty website as well as this Registration page on the RU website.

Students of SUST 250 Sustainable University (April 2022) after their team presentations of campus sustainability projects

Application Deadline Extended to 3/27 for the 2023 FACE Program Summer Fellowship @RU

The Mansfield Institute’s Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (FACE) program will support 15 undergraduate Fellows over Summer 2023. This cohort-based summer fellowship includes funding for a 3-credit Social Justice in Action internship-based course in May 2022. In addition to tuition for this course, Fellows will receive a stipend of $2,500.

Following their course work in late May, Fellows will work in a social justice–focused community-based organization in or around Chicago for 9 weeks (11 hours/week) over the summer starting in early June. Fellows will have an opportunity to meet and work with past Fellows, attend University events together, and potentially present work at conferences. Applicants should have sophomore or junior standing with an interest in social justice and at least a 2.0 GPA (see below). Students receive a $2,500 stipend and 3 credits tuition-free for this experiential social justice-focused, cohort-based Fellowship.

New Deadline: Apply for the Fellowship by March 27, 2023

Eligibility

  • Open to all Roosevelt University students in any college or major
  • Students must have between 45 and 72 credit hours completed on March 13, 2023 (sophomore or junior standing)
  • GPA of at least a 2.0
  • Have an interest in Social Justice

What Fellows Can Expect To Do

  • Work with program faculty to select and secure a paid summer internship
  • Participate in a 3-full day seminar at the end of May 2023
  • Work in a community-based organization (100 hours over the summer)
  • Develop networks and build friendships
  • Earn $2500 and 3 credits toward graduation

Application Info

Apply here for the Mansfield Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (new deadline is March 27th, 2023)

Help RU Plan for a Sustainable Future! (Join the ESC Meeting on Fri 3/17)

The Environmental Sustainability Committee @RooseveltU will have its next strategic sustainability planning meeting of the 2022-23 academic year on Friday, 3/17, from 3pm to 4:30pm on Zoom (see login info below).

The ESC is an open committee formed in 2010 that welcomes participation and encourages collaboration across colleges and departments from all members of the RU community: students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, and friends. Our key task this spring is to finish the Strategic Sustainability Planning effort begun in Fall 2022 and produce a revised Plan for 2023-28 by the end of this Spring 2023 semester.

This planning meeting will focus on reviewing and analyzing feedback from the Fall 2022 campus planning workshops, events, and presentations as well as the ongoing surveys of current students and employees/alumni. From this foundation, we will develop consensus on RU’s campus sustainability goals for the next five years and prioritize concrete initiatives to achieve said goals.

  • Please see the 2022-23 Campus Sustainability Planning webpage for notes, slides, zoom recordings, and other resources related to this effort.
  • Updated information will be posted to this Events page on Inside Roosevelt, at the above planning website, and via email prior to the 3/17 meeting for the RU community’s review and input. Everyone’s ideas, perspectives, and constructive criticisms are needed and valued in this process.
  • Also note that Roosevelt’s just-renewed annual membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) provides anyone with an active RU email address full access to AASHE’s online resources. Take advantage and avail yourself!

To RSVP and get a Zoom link for the meeting (and/or for questions), please email Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies; chair of the Dept of Sociology & Sustainability, CAS; and chair of the ESC.

Applications Open for the 2023 FACE Program Summer Fellowship @RU

The Mansfield Institute’s Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (FACE) program will support 15 undergraduate Fellows over Summer 2023. This cohort-based summer fellowship includes funding for a 3-credit Social Justice in Action internship-based course in May 2022. In addition to tuition for this course, Fellows will receive a stipend of $2,500.

Following their course work in late May, Fellows will work in a social justice–focused community-based organization in or around Chicago for 9 weeks (11 hours/week) over the summer starting in early June. Fellows will have an opportunity to meet and work with past Fellows, attend University events together, and potentially present work at conferences. Applicants should have sophomore or junior standing with an interest in social justice and at least a 2.0 GPA (see below). Students receive a $2,500 stipend and 3 credits tuition-free for this experiential social justice-focused, cohort-based Fellowship.

Apply for the Fellowship by March 13, 2023

Eligibility

  • Open to all Roosevelt University students in any college or major
  • Students must have between 45 and 72 credit hours completed on March 13, 2023 (sophomore or junior standing)
  • GPA of at least a 2.0
  • Have an interest in Social Justice

What Fellows Can Expect To Do

  • Work with program faculty to select and secure a paid summer internship
  • Participate in a 3-full day seminar at the end of May 2023
  • Work in a community-based organization (100 hours over the summer)
  • Develop networks and build friendships
  • Earn $2500 and 3 credits toward graduation

Application Info

Apply here for the Mansfield Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (deadline is March 13th, 2023)

Progress Report on RU’s Fall 2022 Sustainability Planning: Student Presentation at the Loundy Human Rights Symposium

Three students from SUST 350 Service & Sustainability — Kiera Carpenter, Sophia Gallo, and Kayla Nelson — presented a Progress Report on our 2022 Sustainability Strategic Planning efforts this fall at the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project Symposium & Luncheon on Wed 11/30/22 at the Chicago Campus. View their slideshow here: SUST 350 Loundy Symposium Slide Presentation 2022-11-30 (pdf)

Thank you, Mr. Loundy, for your longtime support of the College of Arts & Sciences, and for making this special symposium possible!

The Joseph Loundy 2022 Human Rights Symposium @RU: History, Health, & Sustainability (this Wed 11/30)

When we look to history, there is much to be learned about human rights. We may find that local and global movements were born from particular events — often traumatic, and with great political, health and environmental impacts. Can the past inspire change for the future through activism and advocacy?

Please join the Roosevelt University community for the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project’s 2022 Symposium and Luncheon on Wed 11/30 from 11am to 1pm in WB 418 at RU’s Chicago Campus. Distinguished guest panelists will explore the intersection of history, health policy and environmental sustainability, and how each individually and collectively can promote human rights and social justice.

Students will also present work from three related courses in RU’s College of Arts & Sciences: Public Health Issues and Ideas, taught by professor La Vonne Downey; Service and Sustainability, led by professor Mike Bryson; and Transatlantic Perspectives: Representing History and Trauma, co-taught by professors Margaret Rung (RU) and Arnoud-Jan Bijsterveld (Tilburg University, the Netherlands).

Featured Distinguished Panelists:

  • Mike Beard, global health director for the Better World Campaign
  • Diana Sierra Becerra, assistant professor of history at University of Massachusetts Amhurst
  • Gina Ramirez, Midwest outreach leader for the Natural Resources Defense Council, board president of the Southeast Environmental Task Force, and RU alum (MA Sociology ’14)

SUST 350 Service & Sustainability Student Team: “2022 Strategic Sustainability Planning @RooseveltU”

  • Kiera Carpenter, SUST junior
  • Sophia Gallo, SOC senior
  • Kayla Nelson, PSYC senior

This event is free! RSVP here for the symposium and lunch: https://alumni-giving.roosevelt.edu/loundy-project-2022-symposium

Can’t attend in person? Join in the conversation on the livestream via Zoom!

ESC Meets Tonight 11/16 at 7pm on Zoom

The Environmental Sustainability Committee @RooseveltU has its next virtual meeting of the 2022-23 academic year tonight 11/16/22 from 7-8:30pm CST (Zoom info below). Everyone in the RU community — students, alumni, faculty, staff, admin, and trustees — is invited and encouraged to attend!

This important meeting will focus on (1) reviewing feedback from our two rounds of campus planning workshops as well as the ongoing surveys of current students and employees/alumni. In addition, we will start the process of (2) developing consensus on goals for the next five years and (3) prioritizing concrete initiatives that will achieve said goals. Please note: if you cannot make the meeting, you can still provide input via the above survey links as well as review the slides and notes from the meeting after they are posted.

The ESC is an open committee est. in 2010 that welcomes participation and encourages collaboration across colleges and departments from all members of the RU community: students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, trustees, and friends. Our key task this fall is updating our 2015-20 Strategic Sustainability Plan with assistance by students from Prof. Mike Bryson’s SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class.

Please see the Fall 2022 Campus Sustainability Planning webpage for notes, slides, and other updates and resources related to this effort. Your input, ideas, and perspectives are needed and valued! Also note that Roosevelt’s membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) provides anyone with an active RU email address full access to AASHE’s many useful online resources. Take advantage and avail yourself!

Questions? Email the ESC chair Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies, chair of the Dept of Sociology & Sustainability, College of Arts & Sciences.

Zoom Info:

Topic: ESC Meeting 2022-11-16
Time: Nov 16, 2022 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/92494972769

Meeting ID: 924 9497 2769

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